The PSL will resume in Karachi on Saturday after a nine-month break between its league phase and the playoffs.
Table-topping Multan Sultans will be looking to complete the job they started, although the landscape has changed significantly since March.
Fixtures
Saturday, November 14, 2pm (UAE time) – Qualifier 1: Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings
6.30pm – Eliminator: Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi
Sunday, November 15, 7pm – Qualifier 2: Loser of qualifier 1 v winner of the eliminator
Tuesday, November 17, 7pm – Final
Note: All matches at the National Stadium, Karachi
Broadcast
The matches will be available to watch live on YouTube
What happened?
The PSL was the last major cricket competition to be halted before all sport was shutdown by the coronavirus outbreak in March.
Even then, the organisers did their best to rush the competition to a conclusion. First, they carried on with league phase matches behind closed doors.
Then they altered the schedule for the playoffs, from the original eliminator format, to two semi-finals and a final, in a bid to rush the event through to a conclusion.
However, the event was halted once Alex Hales, who had already returned home to the UK because of the increasing travel restrictions at the time, reported to his Karachi franchise that he had Covid-like symptoms.
There was much deliberation in the time since as to whether the event would be able to be played to a conclusion.
But a window has been decided, and the original format reinstated.
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PSL 2020 team of the tournament so far
Where do the teams stand?
Multan Sultans were the outstanding side in the tournament before the break.
They finished top of the league, and for a while it looked as though they might be handed the title on that basis when it looked like it might be impossible to reschedule the remaining games.
All parties were intent to play the knockout fixtures, though, and a window was agreed.
As the top side, Multan will face second placed Karachi Kings, with the winner advancing direct to the final.
The loser will have a second chance, against the winner of the eliminator match between third-placed Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi – who are the only one of the remaining sides to have won the title before.
What has changed?
In the last match that was played in this competition, on March 15, Shane Watson was man of the match. Since then, he has played a whole IPL, and retired from the sport.
He is not the only one who will not be coming back. The sides have each announced altered squads for the playoffs.
Hales is returning for Karachi, but his English colleague James Vince will not make the trip, after testing positive for Covid this week.
After winning the IPL with Mumbai Indians in Dubai on Tuesday, Kieron Pollard will miss the trip to Pakistan.
He had been due to play for Peshawar Zalmi, but will head to New Zealand for West Indies’ limited overs tour instead.
Gothia Cup 2025
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Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Date Started: September 2018
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
GAC GS8 Specs
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
